Disclaimer: I own nothing
'Thinking'
"Speaking"
SPELL/ABILITY
(********) = Scene/Location/Time Change
Chapter 8: Fox
The group arrived at their first destination as the sun began to set. Wardes and Louise had shared a griffin while Sienna had ridden on top of Aria. The four had traveled all day towards a mountain pass. On the other side of the pass Sienna was surprised to see a large town surrounding a large rock formation.
"Here we are, my dear." Wardes said to Louise making Sienna want to vomit.
"Will you tell us what exactly our mission is now?" Sienna asked impatiently.
"We are here to retrieve a confidential letter from Wales, the prince of Albion, and return it to the princess." Wardes replied to the testy girl.
"That's all?" Sienna returned curiously, "Why all the secrecy?"
"I do not know," Wardes replied, finding himself disliking the girl's inquisitive attitude more and more, "You can ask the queen when we are done with this mission."
"Albion…" Sienna thought aloud, "That's a floating Island isn't it?"
"That's correct." Aria replied to her friend, "We're probably here to catch an airship to the next town."
"That's correct," Wardes called to the two, "but we arrived early. I had anticipated bandits to interfere, but I suppose your fox scared them off. Our ship leaves tomorrow night."
"Pain in the ass…" Sienna muttered wishing she could find her friends faster.
The group checked in to a local inn. Wardes tried to convince Louise to share a room with him, but Aria informed him that they weren't married yet and shut the door in his face. The fox girl, still refusing to revert to her smaller fox form, and the pink-haired mage fell asleep quickly, but Sienna still couldn't shake her feeling about Wardes enough to allow herself to sleep.
'This is where Saito would tell me everything is ok and Leon would make me laugh…' the fiery-haired girl thought as she wallowed in her lonely thoughts. Sienna slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep remembering her life on earth.
In the room next door Wardes sat across from his accomplice.
"Why did you bring the other girl along?" the green haired criminal asked.
"She has a good relationship with Louise and it was easier to get Louise to agree to come if she could too." Wardes explained.
"Why do we even need HER anyway?" Fouquet added, "She's useless now even if she is a void mage."
"If we get her to join us she's and asset that the queen wouldn't have," Wardes replied, "and just because she's useless now doesn't mean she won't develop in the future."
"Fine, but how do you plan to get rid of that girl?" Fouquet asked curious as to her partner's plan.
"Would you mind occupying her until our ship leaves tomorrow?" Wardes asked his accomplice.
"The Reconquista better compensate me for this…" Fouquet muttered.
"It was us that broke you out, but don't worry you'll get paid." Wardes replied.
(********)
Saito and Leon rode as fast as they could. They arrived as the sun started to rise. The sun rose from behind the large castle-like campus making it appear even more regal.
"These nobles have good taste if they planned this view." Leon said as their horses galloped along.
"Yeah…" Saito replied absently as he thought of how Louise and his friends would react to seeing him again.
"What's that up ahead?" Leon asked his friend.
"It looks like Osman is waiting for us." Saito replied with a slight smile.
"I thought no one outside the castle knew about our mission." Leon stated quizzically.
"He's a special case." Saito laughed.
"Are we there yet?" Vandal questioned as he stuck his head outside of Leon's hood.
"Just about." Leon informed the sword spirit.
The group slowed as the approached the campus gates. Osman stood in the gates looking quite stern as the two approached. The man was speaking with his mouse familiar, and as Leon and Saito approached he could tell it was something important.
"Long time no see, old man." Saito greeted the principal.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Leon Wolfengar." Leon said hoping off of his horse.
"I know who both of you are already." Osman replied.
"What's wrong, Gramps?" Saito asked Osman.
"Well you see," Osman began, "I would rather have had our reunion on better terms, but it appears not everything can go the way you would like. The same applies to your mission."
"What do you mean by that?" Leon asked as two stablemen took their horses.
"A man by the name of Wardes came by here yesterday and had two students and a familiar removed from class." The gray-haired man informed the two.
"I'm guessing one was Louise…" Saito said calmly.
"And the other was Sienna." Leon finished.
"Do you know what the man looked like?" Saito asked Osman.
"No, I was unaware that we even had a visitor until afterwards." Osman replied.
"Would you mind if we asked the students in their class?" Leon inquired.
"Not at all, but could you please tell me who he was?" Osman said turning to lead the boys into the school.
"He's a spy working for the organization that's currently seeking to overthrow the Albion royal family." Saito informed the man.
"Or at least that's what we believe." Leon added.
"I see…" Osman said trailing off into thought.
The three walked down the halls in silence. This allowed Leon to explore where his friend had lived for the time they had been separated. Saito took the silence as a chance to think how he'd greet his friends.
'Can I even call them friends?' Saito wondered, 'Louise sort of prevented me from establishing any form of relationship with them… oh well, she's not controlling me anymore…' Saito found himself wandering in thought as he began resolving to become their friend and ally now that he had a new life.
"Saito, you there?" Leon asked waving his hand in front of the boy's face.
"Hm? Yeah. Sorry just dozed off a little." Saito replied sheepishly.
"Here we are." Osman said standing outside of the classroom door.
The old man opened the door. The silence of the hallway was blown away by the sounds of a classroom. Leon smiled as he remembered his old home. He had loved school. He had average grades of course, he was no genius like Sienna, but he was the athlete of the three. He always excelled in any sport they played. He had been the school's champ and had always had girl's swarming him. Saito, on the other hand, was reminded of his experiences here and how quickly things had turned.
"Oh Principal Osman," came the voice of a man from inside, "What is it?"
"You have some guests from the castle." Osman said simply, "Come on in you two."
Saito and Leon obliged. They entered the room receiving a gasp from the class followed by an eerie silence. Saito didn't make eye contact, but he felt all eyes on him. Leon was the first to speak.
"Oi!" He called, "Our friend was here and now she's not anyone know who she left with."
A red haired girl stood and spoke, "Why are you with darling?"
"Because he's my friend." Leon replied, "Look we're in a hurry."
"Darling," the girl called to Saito, "where have you been all this time?"
"Kirche," Saito said, realizing he'd have to take the wheel for this to get done, "I can explain everything later, but right now we need you guys to tell us about the guy who came by here yesterday."
"Who are you to come around here and boos us around?" a blonde boy Saito recognized as Guiche asked slightly bitterly.
"Royal soldiers." Saito said as both he and Leon held out their arms to show their Silver Emblems.
"Oh…" Guiche said meekly.
"So will you tell us now?" Leon asked the group.
"The man was tall, had silver hair, wore an odd shaped hat, and called himself Wardes of the Griffin Knights." A blue haired girl named Tabitha replied, not looking up from her book.
Saito and Leon exchanged glances. The class nodded in affirmation to further push the boys' resolve that this "Wardes" was the traitor.
"They'll probably be boarding the ship that leaves tonight." Saito told his friend.
"We'll never make it before they get to Wales." Leon replied.
"Are you two ok?" Kirche asked puzzled, "Who was that man?"
"A spy for the organization Reconquista that is currently is trying to overthrow the kingdom of Albion." Saito informed the students, "and if we don't get to Prince Wales in time they'll succeed."
"If it's that important…" Kirche said turning to her blue haired friend, "Do you think we could use your familiar to catch up to them?"
"I suppose." The blue haired girl said shortly.
"We're leaving now Mr. Colbert." The red haired girl called as the four ran out of the room.
"O…k?" The teacher replied still confused at what had just transpired.
"Damn that Saito…" Guiche said, "Now he works for the queen. You aren't getting another step up on me peasant!"
"Guiche wait up! Don't leave without me you moron!" a long blonde-haired girl called as the two followed behind the first group.
"Kids these days are so lively." Osman said to his mouse familiar with a smile.
(********)
Sienna awoke to the sound of morning business coming from the open window. She looked around to see Louise and Aria had already left for breakfast. The girl felt slightly offended at the fact that her familiar had left, but then remembered she had always been a heavy sleeper.
"Hopefully I didn't miss breakfast." The girl said to herself as she hurriedly changed into new clothes.
She was greeted by Louise as she entered the dining hall, "Good morning."
"Morning." Aria said as she smiled at her master.
"Good morning." the fiery haired genius replied to the two.
"You're quite the heavy sleeper." Louise said to her friend with a laugh, "We tried a lot of things to wake you."
"Yeah… I get that a lot." Sienna said sheepishly.
"I hear you're quite adept at magic." Wardes interrupted.
"Not really… I only know a few combat spells, and the rest has all been alchemy." Sienna admitted to the man.
"I'd still like to see how strong you are." Wardes stated, "Would you mind a spar?"
"I suppose I wouldn't mind." The genius said not understanding what this man wanted to find out.
"Good," Wardes said with a wry smile, "Let's wait until this afternoon."
"Whenever is good for me." Sienna replied.
'He's probably underestimating me. I should still not show him everything in this fight.' The girl thought to herself as she finished her breakfast and returned to her room to prepare.
(********)
The sun beat down over the small courtyard they had been allowed for their match. The young genius and the middle-aged swordsman stood at opposing corners. Aria stood in the center acting as a referee and Louise sat a safe distance away to watch.
'Foolish girl,' Wardes thought to himself, 'I'll make sure to gauge your power for Fouquet, but no one said I couldn't show you how superior I am.'
'Creep,' Sienna thought as she twirled the fake wand she had Aria conjure, 'Let's see what it takes to be a knight here.'
"Are both sides ready?" Aria asked receiving a nod from both, "Begin!"
"I'll start!" Wardes said lunging towards the girl, "LIGHTNING LANCE!"
Sienna strafed flawlessly and countered, "FLASH BURN"
For a moment nothing happened then Wardes felt heat radiating from his cloak. He discarded the cloak before it burst into flames returning his gaze to the girl. He snarled and cursed himself for getting hit, but he wouldn't let it happen again.
"THUNDER SLASH" He called sending a long saber like beam at the girl.
'That's it?' Sienna thought then reminded herself, 'Don't get carried away let this one hit.'
The girl was hit full force by the beam smashing her against a wall. Louise gasped and Wardes smiled at himself. Sienna and Aria shared a mental exchange if the situation before Aria called the match over. Sienna stood and left pretending to be bitter over her loss.
"So?" Aria asked after the two had made it a safe distance away.
"He's overconfident in his ability," Sienna answered, "Nothing we couldn't handle if he does turn out to be a problem."
The two stayed conversing about the match. They analyzed each piece of information they had gathered about the man in the short exchange carefully. The sun began to sink in the sky. The two decided to head back to board the ship, but as they were heading back the ground began to shake. A giant mass of stone rose before them.
"What the heck is that?" Sienna asked her friend.
"A stone golem." Aria said, "Fire magic isn't going to be that great against him."
'Crap,' the girl thought to herself, 'I should probably invest a little more time in combat magic after all…'
Her thoughts were interrupted as a large stone fist smashed right next to her. It had missed her by a hair. She snapped herself from her thoughts and began dodging the attacks. The assault from the golem continued tirelessly as the two girls dodge the attacks helplessly.
Sienna began to grow tired and collapsed to the ground. The fiery haired girl raised her arms in a weak defense against the giant's massive stone arms. Suddenly, as the golems arms were about to smash her burst of energy shot from her left hand sending the golem back. The girl looked at her hand in disbelief as three letters etched themselves into her skin.
'F-O-X' Sienna thought to herself.
The golem regained its composure and moved back to continue its assault. Before the golem could get to Sienna two forms appeared from the sky before her. They were dressed differently, but she recognized them instantly.
'Saito and Leon.' The genius thought in awe.
"Sorry," Saito began, "but you aren't getting a step closer."
(…)
Evening, ladies and gents. Sorry this one took so long. Now that I have a basic premise for how I want to portray the canon characters I think I'll be able to get my chapters out a bit faster. I hope anyway… I still need at least one more voter on the poll. Please check it out. Stay tuned. -Lion